China-U.S. strategic stability.

• Author: Sempa, Francis P.
• Position: Report

At a recent conference at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Robert Pfaltzgraff, a prolific writer on international politics, discussed the prospects for U.S.-Chinese strategic stability. Pfaltzgraff defined strategic stability as a relationship characterized by "reliability and dependability of behavior." "A stable strategic relationship," he explained, "is one in which both sides gain knowledge about each other's strategy such that they gain increased confidence that neither will dramatically alter the relationship ..."

Pfaltzgraff made clear that while China and the United States are economically intertwined, they nevertheless are strategic competitors. The fundamental source of that competition, he noted, can be traced to Thucydides: "the clash between an existing great power and an aspirant great power."

One of China's long-term goals, according to Pfaltzgraff, is to achieve dominance in the Asia-Pacific region as "a springboard to growing global influence." The United States, on the other hand, seeks to retain its position of dominance in the Asia-Pacific region. Those incompatible long-term goals cannot be negotiated or wished away.

Pfaltzgraff warned that Chinese...